ADD and meds - Page 2

[aisraeltax]

just wanted to add that our therapist (my sons and mine when we are both on Concerta) also recommended fish oil as a supplement. i did feel a boost in my attention span when i took it (3x a day).
although i am not on the Concerta now, when the baby weans (CLW), i do intend to start back on it. as one of the previous posters stated, it changed my life and made me realize how much different my life would have been if i had known about the ADD previously.
although i graduated college, etc., it was a much more difficult decision than it woudl have been on the medication.
i do agree that meds are different for a grown adult than a growing child, but i also believe each case is unique and if you have a caring health professional that is willing to work with you, meds may be the answer for some children. not all certainly and not most of those on meds right now probably, but for some, it is a welcome relief.

Originally Posted by 2mama

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I knew that I would get lots of differnt opionions on the meds and while it's a good thing I have a hard time seeing that people are so unaccepting of this. It makes me wonder of those people who responded if they have had a negative experience on other meds and if they really understand that this is a last resort. I would never do this with out throughly going through my options. We have tried alot of cognative behavior therapy and this with the limiting dyes and perservatives helps but not enough. The poor thing struggles so badly to focus and knows there is something wrong. I also believe that she will be able to tell if the meds are working or not as she has asked for help.

I have looking in the Feingold program and it looks far to restrictive, I work with men and women with eating disorders every time I got to work and I would not ever want that for my child and I see putting such "restrictions" on a child and a soon to be preteen a sure fire way to encourage one. Just saying, I'm not open to this right now. As for the fish oil, I have never heard of it for this or attempted it but if anyone knows dosages it wouldn't hurt to try it if I can convince DD to take it. Does the child take it in capsul or liquid form. As far as the dyes go we are very strict about it and limit perservatives as much as possible. I know I could do better with sugar. We don't use much refined sugar, but we could do better. Also homeschooling or unschooling is not an option for us. With her inability to focus and stay in task I would not feel confortable attempting to do this. We gave it a try over the summer and I couldn't get her to focus long enough to get anything done with out a fight. Which is the differance in school as she is very respectful and would never challenge her teacher. Don't get me wrong she is a great kids but when I try to make her sit and focus when there is a lawn mower going 2 houses down and a cat walking by and a brother playing in the other room she puts up a fight. I know it sounds counterproductive to keep her in the school but as of right now it is the best choice.

[LovemyBoo]

My ds takes these dha (fish oil) supplements.

Nordic Naturals

The pills are very small and are chewable. They taste like strawberry. Ds swallows them whole but has chewed one and said it wasn't bad. The standard dosage is 4 pills twice a day. Ds takes 3, twice a day. I may up that to four if it seems he needs it.

Like most dietary change, you need to give them a couple of weeks to a couple of months to really see a difference.

[SRHS]

I just want to add that the Feingold diet is NOT that restrictive after you figure out which naturally occurring salicylates your child is sensitive to...and if it is a food intolerance your DD will FEEL better not eating things her body does not tolerate well. My DS described it to me as being all crumbly inside...like his insides are just shaking and crumbling and falling apart. HOW AWFUL to feel that way. I only wish I had known about it and tried it sooner. Zac doesn't feel restricted at all, even at soccer games when people bring snacks that aren't on his diet, he just says, NO THANKS...and I always bring him something he CAN have. Even when he is out with friends and I am not around if he is unsure, he says No thanks...he feels so badly when eating stuff he is sensitive to that he just doesn't want it. And when we started Zac on the diet, the whole family went on the diet, and we all feel better for it....He can now tolerate oranges and some tomato and strawberries, which all used to be huge triggers for him, we just doe them in moderation now and not two days in a row. And I feel quite certain he is not developing an eating disorder. He is a very savvy shopper...and when we go to the store and he sees like Fruit Loops for example, he says, NOw, what in nature is THAT COLOR??? or "Wonder how much petroleum is in that box?" I just want you to know that it is NOT that restrictive past the first 2 weeks, then you start adding in the fruits and veggies that have salicylates in them and see which ones dd reacts to...It could be the difference between a lower or a higher dose of medication, or possibly no medication at all.

have you checked out the Right Brained learner info? She may not need meds, she may need a teacher without a teaching disability.

The reason I am so anti med is because I think it is overused. And I think the classrooms are overcrowded and it is so much easier on a teacher to drug a kid into submission that to try to alter the learning environment to better suit a different learning style. I just hate to think of giving millions of kids mind altering drugs when the answer may be as simple as dietary or environmental changes. I'm SURE there is a small portion of the population who needs the medical intervention. I just think it is way overused.

[hutsonmom]

has anyone sought a doctor that does behavior counseling? my step daughter recently moved in with us she was on 4 meds for AD/HD and depression, which i understand is a common side effect of
ADD. she was 16 when she moved in with us due to extreme difficulties with her mom, school and even some minor legal problems. i took her to our family pedi becuase all of those meds frankly scared me. he ran a lot of test (blood, physc etc..) and she does seem to have ADD/HD but he reduced her meds to 1 and the dosage almost by half and then told us to enroll her with a therapist that did behavior modification classes. what a life saver. when she first came i spent more time at school than at work and home time was just nerve racking. now she seems to be settling in and doing much better in many aspects of her life, but i am unsure if it will be short lived?? has anyone else had any experiences with this? also we have set rules and guidlines in our house that are strictly enforced and this tyoe of clear structure seems to help (her mom did not believe in any kind of discipline so this was new to her).

she also seems to have some maturity issues especially where dating and boys are concerned is this common with ADD/HD? thanks for any help.

hutsonmom

[jrose_lee]

I have read somewhere that taking cod liver oil helps insanely with ADD/ADHD. FAR FAR better than any medicine. It is soooooooo good for you. I may have read it on westonaprice.org or mercola.com

Maybe you already knew that though..... good luck!!!!

[Jazzmin]

My DS was taking Cod Liver Oil (in capsules) and a combo of zinc, magnesium, and calcium. It worked so well the teacher noticed.

[oregongirlie]

I have to agree with the fish oil. I've been using it during pregnancy for ADD and depression after being on Concerta (slow-release ritalin) and Wellbutrin. It has worked really well. But, I have cut my responsiblilities by about 90% (no job, school, understanding and helpful spouse). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is also very helpful (IME) but a psychoanalytical approach is not (also IME).

[2mama]

How many mg of the fish oil do you give to an almost 9 year old? I went to the local health food store to pick them up and they can in 2 different strenghts.

[LovemyBoo]

My ds takes six 250mg pills a day, three in the morning and three at night. The directions say you can give up to eight a day. So I'd say no more than 2000mg a day.

[Jazzmin]

According to mercola.com
Take one teaspoon of Carlson's liquid oil for every 50 pounds of body weight daily.

For Carlson's Cod Liver Oil Softgels with Low Vitamin A, I highly recommend taking one softgel for every ten pounds of body weight. However, do not exceed more than15 pills per day -- unless you have had your fatty acid levels tested.

We used Carlson's becuase it was supposed to be the purest. We now take Pure Encapsulations because it has been microfiltered.